Device for measuring lumber



Jan. 24, 1961 c. F. :vr-:S

DEVICE FOR MEASURING LUMBER Filed July 8, 1957 INVENTOR. Ol PL 70A/ IVe- 5 @Pa/MPM /4 T T 0 RN E Y DEVICE FUR MEASURING LUMBER Carlton F. Ives, 307 S. Elm, Carlsbad, N. Mex.

Filed July 8, 1957, Ser. No. 670,482

1 Claim. (Cl. 23S-L87) This invention relates to devices for measuring lumber that is used for building purposes. i

An object of the present invention is to providek a measuring device for lumber which may be held in the hand of a user, the device constituting a cylindrical body having a sleeve circornposed about a midportion thereof, the end portions of the body having indicia on their perimeters and a portion of the body surrounded by the sleeve having other indicia which is viewable through openings provided in the sleeve. The indicia on the body end of the sleeve adjacent the openings represent lumber sizes and lumber computations for the purpose of assisting a user thereof to compute the amount of lumber needed for a particular carpentering operation.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists of the novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a measuring device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of one end of the measuring device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the measuring device;

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of the opposite end of the measuring device to that shown in Fig. l2; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective View of the measuring device.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals, the reference numeral is used to generally designate a measuring device embodying the invention.

The measuring device 10 comprises a tubular body or sleeve 11 that is provided at its opposite ends with a peripheral head or flange 12, whereby the tubular body or sleeve 11 may be easily rotated as will be later described.

The tubular body or sleeve 11 is provided with 6 equally spaced rows of openings 13 and the alternate rows are positioned in the tubular body or sleeve 11 in staggered relation to each other so that the openings in one row are positioned intermediately of the rows on opposite sides of each other. The openings in one row reading from one of the flanges 12 to the opposite flange 12 will read as 6 ft., 8 ft., 10 ft., 12 ft., 14 ft., 16 ft. and 18 ft. The next adjacent row reading in the opposite direction will read as follows: l0 ft., l2 ft., 14 ft., 16 ft., 18 ft. 20 ft. and 22 ft., both as shown in Fig. l.

A trunnion or case 14 is provided with a female socket 15 having internal threads 16 and a trunnion or case 17 is provided with male threads 18. The trunnions or cases 14 and 17 are each inserted into the opposite ends of the sleeve 11 and are joined 4to each other by the insertions of the male threads 18 on the trunnion or case 17 into the female socket 15 of the trunnion or case 14, as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the trunnions or cases 14 and 17 is provided nited States Patent O i" 2,969,180 Patented Jian. 24, 1961 ICS with an annular groove 19. Each groove 19 is outlined on the inner side thereof by an annular ilange 20 and is outlined on the outer side by a peripheral llange 21. All of the flanges may have a knurled surface if desired. When the trunnions or cases 14 and 17 are assembled as previously described, the flanges' 12 on the tubular body or sleeve 11 will have sliding engagement with the flanges 20 on the trunnions or cases 14 and 17, as shown in Fig.' 3. In ythe groove 19 on the trunnion or case 14, sizes of lumber is indicated as follows: l x 3, l x 4, l X 5, l xk 6,v 1 x' 7, 1 x8 and l x 9. In the groove 19 on the trunnion or case 1-7, sizes of lumber is indicated as follows:3x 12,4x l2,5xl2,6x12,7x l2, 8x12 and 9 x l2. A color band 22 is positioned in the groove 19' on the trunnion or case 14 transversely thereof and Y the color band 22 will agree with a similar color band i larV color band that may be positioned adjacent certain of the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or sleeve 11.;

A disc 24 is secured by any suitable adhesive to the end of the trunnion or case 14. The disc 24 is divided into three sections 25, 26, and 27, respectively, each section being provided with indicia as in Fig. 2.

A disc 28 is secured by any suitable adhesive to the end of the trunnion or case 17. The disc 28 is divided into three sections 29, 30, and 31, respectively, each section bearing indicia as in Fig. 4.

The trunnion or case 14 has rows of numerals 32 positioned thereon longitudinally thereof and the numerals 32 will appear through the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or sleeve 11 as the tubular body or sleeve 11 is rotated on the trunnions or casings 14 and 17. The trunnion or case 17 has rows of numerals 33 positioned thereon longitudinally thereof and the numerals 33 will appear through the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or sleeve 11, as the tubular body or sleeve 11 is rotated, on the trunnions or casings 14 and 17. The numerals 32 and 33 will give the board feet of lumber when the proper numerals are positioned beneath the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or sleeve 11.

In operation, the tubular body or sleeve 11 is rotated on the trunnions or cases 14 and 17 and to use the measuring device, the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or sleeve 11 is alined with the lumber sizes in the grooves 19 in the ends of the trunnions or cases 14 and 17, respectively. Thus, if the size 1 X 3 is alined with the proper rows of openings 13, then the board feet will be shown for boards 6 ft. to 18 ft. in length. The tubular body or sleeve 11 may be rotated to selectively aline the lumber sizes in the grooves 19 in the ends of the trunnions or cases 14 and 17, as desired to obtain the board feet of the size of lumber indicated in the respective groove 19. The measuring device will compute board feet for lumber varying in width from 3 to 9 inches wide. Combination of the various widths will give the proper width for larger boards of lumber. Also, longer boards of lumber may be calculated as to board feet, for example, a 22 ft, board may be computed by adding the l0 foot length to the l2 ft. length.

The measuring device will also give gable height, for example, a l X 6 board l2 ft. long contains 6 board feet, a building 24 feet wide having a 1A pitch will have a 6 foot gable, thus, by having the numerals 32 and 33 aline with the rows of openings 13, will give the proper size gable.

The measuring device 10 may be made of plastic or similar material and the sizes of lumber positioned adjacent the rows of openings 13 in the tubular body or s1eeve 1l may be etched in the plastic, printed on tapes adhesively secured thereto or printed thereon.

The number of openings 13 determine the diterent combinations or number of readings that may be provided for the use of the person employing the measuring device.

Since the rows are in staggered relation to each other, they will only appear in the proper openings in the rows of openings 13 and thus the 6 categories listed on the ends of the trunnions or cases 14 and 17 willibe found by use of the measuring device.

It is believed that from the foregoing description the operation and construction of the measuring device will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts may' be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim. v

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A measuring device for lumber comprising a pair -of cylindrical cases each having an open top and a fiat bottom, inter-engaging cooperating threads on the portions of said cases adjacent the open tops securing said cases together, each of said cases having a first annular ilange projecting outwardly from the end adjacent the bottom and a second annular flange arranged parallel to and spaced from said first Harige, a cylindrical sleeve conformably shaped to t about the portions of said cases between said second llanges and the open tops, a ange projecting from each end of said sleeve and each disposed so as to abut the adjacent one of said second anges, said sleeve being manually rotatable about the portions of said cases between said second ilanges and said open tops, spaced indicia on the bottom of each of said cases, spaced indicia on the last-named case portions, said sleeve having viewing openings having indicia therebeside in registry in turn with the indicia on said last-named case portions responsive to rotation of said sleeve on said case portions, said sleeve end flanges and said first and second anges of said case providing hand grip means for manually rotating the said sleeve relative to said cases.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

